'It Takes a Village' movie wins Best Short Documentary award at New York Movie Awards

Cairo - 10 February 2022: UNICEF announced today that the short documentary film “It Takes a Village” has won the “Best Short Documentary” award at the New York Movie Awards. The film was first screened on October 18, 2021 at a special event in El Gouna International Film Festival (GFF), under the auspices of the National Council for Women (NCW) and the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM), in cooperation with UNICEF and with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

The short documentary film tells the story of three girls (Alaa, Samaa & Noura) from Egypt with something in common that changed their lives and will be the reason to inspire many other girls. It also shows the challenges, the dreams and hopes for all girls in Egypt. The film is directed by Ms. Reem Osama and funded by USAID.

On this occasion, Dr. Maya Morsi, President of the National Council for Women, said: “I am proud of the 'Dawwie' national initiative and of the substantial progress that Egypt has achieved in empowering girls. The Egyptian state is exerting continuous efforts in supporting girls to play an active role in their societies and contribute to creating a better future for themselves and their country. I believe that the girls of Egypt are capable of making change and achieving more success during the coming period.” 

From his side, Dr. Tarek Tawfik, Deputy Minister of Health and Population for Population Affairs and the Supervisor of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, expressed his happiness that the film “It Takes a Village” won this award. Stating that this represents a highlight towars supporting girls’ educational, health and cultural rights. He also stressed on the importance of arts and the film industry in supporting societal issues; by highlighting important issues that provide greater opportunities for societal change. Tawfik also stressed on the role of NCCM in launching the joint national initiative to empower girls “Dawwie” under the auspices of the Council and in cooperation with UNICEF, which focused since its inception on supporting the rights of girls and is one of the mechanisms that contribute to creating an enabling environment that supports the rights of girls in various fields.

Leslie Reed, USAID Mission Director said: "We are pleased to be among the partners working to support ‘Dawwie's’ initiative interventions, including supporting the film that won the ‘Best Short Documentary’ award at the New York Movie Awards. The United States of America is committed, to empowering girls and ensuring their full participation in economic and social life in Egypt.”

Jeremy Hopkins, UNICEF Representative in Egypt said: "We are absolutely delighted that this film has been recognized with this award. This underscores the essence of the film which is to ensure that girls voices are heard at home and all over the world. UNICEF commits to continuing our efforts to empower every girl in Egypt to enjoy her rights and to transition to adulthood with the skills she needs."

The three heroines of the film are participants of the ‘Dawwie’ national initiative that aims to foster an enabling environment for Egyptian girls, especially the most vulnerable, to achieve their full potential while enhancing the participation of their families and communities as well. The initiative is currently being implemented in twenty-one Egyptian governorates.